Gunnery



April 945. F. G. GUNN. ETAL 2,373,024

' GUNNERY Filed Oct. 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 3, 19.45- F. a. GUNN' EI'AL GUNNERY 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Y Filed Oct. 6, 1945 frzaenlors irawzi' 6i Gm Patented Apr. 3, 1945 GUNNERY Frank George Gunn, Ickenham, and Eugene Hague, Gerrards Cross, England, assignors to Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, Hollywood, C'alif., a corporation of Maine 9 Claims.

This invention relates to gunnery or analogous aiming apparatus and more particularly to aimteaching apparatus wherein the aim or flight of a projectile is indicated by a beam of light and it refers particularly but not exclusively to instructional apparatus in which a cinematograph film of a moving target is projected on to a screen. However the invention is equally applicable for use in conjunction with aim-teaching apparatus employing models passing in front of a screen or with aim-teaching apparatus employing substantially plain models instead of a screen.

-According to this invention the flight or bursting of projectiles is simulated by the projection on a screen, by means of a lens pivoted about its nodal point or about a point near its nodalpoint,

of spots of light released by creating perforations in one or more illuminated opaque diaphragms by means of a perforating apparatus which is moved in accordance with that part of the aiming apparatus representing a gun or bomb sight and which perforates the opaque diaphragm or diaphragms when the action of firing is carried out, whereby instruction may be given effectively and realistically in aiming guns at moving targets, or in observing of bomb or shell bursts, or in spotting the flight or fall of projectiles.

Provision may be made to simulate the effect of a tracer projectile disappearing in the distance and gradually becoming invisible and the simulation of the effect of gravity and other influences upon a projectile may also be provided for.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the apparatus in operative relationship to a spherical projection screen.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprisesa stationary supporting post I having a pin 2 fast thereto and projecting upwardly therefrom. Mounted on the pin 2 is an inverted bail 3 the upper ends of which are interconnected by a cross piece 4. Fast in the frame 3-4 is a plate 6 having a circular opening. Mounted on the Application Octoberfi, 1943, Serial No. 505,154 In Great Britain December 10, 1941 back of the plate 6 is a hemispherical cup I having a peripheral flange 8 attached to the back of the plate, the center of curvature of the cup 1 being located substantially at the center of the opening in the plate 6 and the diameter of the hemispherical portion of the cup being approximately equal to that-of the opening in the plate.

1 use. The ring 9 may be rotatably mounted on the plate 6 by any suitable means such as bearings 15. The rack i l is actuated by a pinion I6 driven by hand or by a motor I! mounted on the back of the plate 6 through the medium of a worm I8 and a wormwheel i9. 7

Mounted for universal movement relatively to the aforesaid stationary parts, about the centerof curvature of cups 1 and I3, are a lamp housing 2|, a dummy gun 22 having a sight 23 and a trigger 24, a lens housing 26 containing a lens whose nodal point is substantially at the center of curvature of the aforesaid cups, and the perforating mechanism hereinafter described. These parts are interconnected to move together in any direction about the aforesaid center of curvature through the following mechanism. A bail 21 is pivotally mounted on pin 2 to swing horizontally about the axis of the post I. Another bail 28 is pivotally connected to the bail 21 at 29 to swing up and down about a horizontal axis. The lamp housing 2| is mounted on the ends of the bail 28 by means of brackets 3| and 32 and the dummy gun 22 is mounted on the bracket 32 by means of connectors 33 (Fig. 1). The lens housing 26 is mounted in a plate 34 having side flanges 355, this plate being mounted on the bail 28 through the medium of posts 31, plate 38 and arms 39.

The perforating mechanism, which is mounted on the plate 34 between the side flanges 36, comprises a needle 4! reciprocating lengthwise in agun is aimed.

sition to the operative position, a spring returning the carrier to retracted position. The eccentric 49 operates on the needle 4| through the medium of an arm 52 pivoted at 53. The motor M is controlled by the trigger 24 and turns the shaft l1 through one complete revolution and then stops with the needle 4| retracted in the carrier and the carrier in the retracted position shown in broken lines. When the trigger is pulled the cycle of operations is as follows. 48 first moves the carrier from the retracted position to the operative position. The eccentric 49 then moves the perforator 4| outwardly to perforate both of the cups 1 and [3, the perforator is then retracted and finally the carrier moves back to the retracted position.

' The aforesaid apparatus is used with a projection screen upon which the lens in housing 26 is focused. Thus light from the housing 2| passing through the perforations in the cups 1 and I3 is focused by the lens in the form of a small spot on the screen. The screen is preferably hemispherical and concentric with the nodal point of the aforesaid lens. Such a screen, having a radius of curvature R, is shown at S in Fig. 5. However it may have less curvature and indeed the apparatus may be used with a flat screen. For training purposes a flying plane or other moving object is projected on the screen, the operator aims.

the dummy gun 22 at the moving object and pulls the trigger 26. This perforates both the cups 1 and I3, permitting a spot of light to be projected on the screen at the point to which the dummy If the spot strikes the moving object the aim is accurate, or in the case of a miss the distance between the spot and the moving object indicates the degree of inaccuracy, it

being understood that the operator in aiming the gun swings the aforesaid movable parts in universal movement about the aforesaid nodal point in his attempt to follow the moving object with the sight 23.

If it is desired to simulate the effect of tracer projectiles disappearing in the distance and gradually becoming invisible, this effect may be obtained by slowly moving the cup l3 in relation to the cup 1 by means of the rack so that perforations will cease to coincide, thereby reducing and finally cutting off the beam of light passing through any coincident perforations.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Gunnery apparatus comprising an approximately hemispherical diaphragm, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragm, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragm, means for projecting light through said perforation and lens, means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement togetheg about said center, and means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aimed.

2. Gunnery apparatus comprising an approximately hemispherical diaphragm, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragm, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragm, means for projecting light along a line extending through said perforation and lens, said perforator being movable out of alignment with the perforation The cam to permit the passage of light along said line,

means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement together about said center, and means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aimed.

3. Gunnery apparatus comprising an approximately hemispherical diaphragm, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragm, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragm, means for projecting light along a line extending through said perforation and lens, said perforator being mounted for movement lengthwise of said line between an advanced perforating position and a retracted position and also for movement transversely of said line between an operative position in the line and an inoperative position at one side of the line, means for making said movements conjointly in response to a single control so that the perforator first moves transversely from inoperative to operative position, thence longitudinally to said advanced position, thence longitudinally to said retracted position and thence transversely to said inoperative position, means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement together about said center, and means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aimed.

4. Gunnery apparatus comprising an approximately hemispherical diaphragm, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragm, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragm, means for projecting light through said perforation and lens, means supporting the perforator and lens and projectingmeans for universal movement together about said center, and means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by' whic the apparatus'may be aimed.

5. Gunnery apparatus comprising an approximately hemispherical diaphragm, a perforator for making .a perforation in the diaphragm, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragm, means for projecting light along a line extending through said perforation and lens, said perforator being movable out of alignment with the perforation to permit the passage of light along said line, means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement together about said center, and means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aime l.

6. Gunnery apparatus comprising an approximately hemispherical diaphragm, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragm, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragm, means for projecting light along a line extending through said perforation and lens, said perforator being mounted for movement lengthwise of said line between an advanced perforating position and a retracted position and also for movement transversely of said line between an operative position in the line and an inoperative position at one side of the line, means for making said movements conjointly in response to a single control so that the perforator first moves transversely from inoperative to operative position, thence longitudinally to said advanced position, thence longitudinally to said retracted position and thence transversely to said inoperative position, means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement together about said center, and means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aimed.

7. Gunnery apparatus comprising inner and outer approximately hemispherical and concentric diaphragms, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragms, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragms, means for projecting light through said perforation and lens, means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement together about said center, meansassociated-with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aimed and means for moving one of said diaphragms circumferentially relatively to the other gradually to shift one of said perforations out of alignment with the other.

8. Gunnery apparatus comprising inner and outer approximately hemispherical and concentric diaphragms, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragms, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragms, means for projecting light along a line extending through said perforation and lens, said perforator being movable out of alignment with the perforation to permit the passage of light along said line, means supporting the perforator and lens and projectapparatus may be aimed and means for moving one of said diaphragms circumferentially relatively to the other gradually to shift one of said perforations out of alignment with the other.

9; Gunnery apparatus comprising inner and outer approximately hemispherical and concentric diaphragms, a perforator for making a perforation in the diaphragms, a lens having its nodal point in the region of the center of curvature of said diaphragms, means for projecting light along a line extending through said perforation and lens, said perforator being mounted for movement lengthwise of said line between an advanced perforating position and a retracted position and also for movement transversely of said line between an operative position in the line and an inoperative position at one side of the line, means for making saidmovements conjointly in response to a single control so that the perforator first moves transversely from inoperative to operative position, thence longitudinally to said advanced position, thence longitudinally to said retracted position and thence transversely to said inoperative position, means supporting the perforator and lens and projecting means for universal movement together about said center, means associated with said last means for supporting a sight by which the apparatus may be aimed and means for moving one of said diaphragms circumferentially relatively to the other gradually to shift one of said perforations out of alignment with the other.

FRANK GEORGE GUNN. EUGENE HAQUE. 

